THE opening act of the Pier to Pub weekend in Lorne will test the running endurance of hundreds, if not thousands, of participants in this year’s Mountain to Surf.

The Mountain to Surf spans 8km across forested trails along the Great Ocean Road.

Ocean Grove’s Sebastian Asher and Yarra Junction’s Sarah Klein claimed the male and female titles respectively at last year’s Mountain to Surf run.

Asher covered the 8km course through the hills and forest trails of Lorne in 23:36, while Klein finished with a time of 26:04.

Interviewed after the race, Asher – a Bellarine local – said the win was a successful end to him trying the Mountain to Surf for the first time.

“I haven’t done it before, so it was nice to get out there and get the hills done in the first couple of kilometres.

“Coming down to the Surf Coast this time of year, the weather, the environment that we’re in, the people we’re around the atmosphere are just awesome.”

This year will mark the sixth year Powercor has been the principal sponsor of both events.

“We’re proud to be extending our partnership with such an iconic event and just like surf lifesavers at Lorne and along the Surf Coast, our lineys along the Great Ocean Road and Otways are essential to the communities that they live and work in,” Powercor general manager Scott Russell said.

More Mountain To Surf event information here.

Read Surf Coast Times story here. 

Image credit: The Mountain to Surf returns to Lorne on January 10. Photo: SUPPLIED